


Wild Lilies

by R0gue



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Original Work
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arguments, Awkward Romance, Bad Impressions, Because The Setting, Chases, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Confessions, Cuddling, Deception, Dreaming, Embarrassment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Angst, Family Drama, Forbidden Love, Forced Marriage, Heartbreak, Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Possibly Unrequited Love, Sacrifice, breakdowns, escaping, kinda OOC, planning, reasoning, reflections, trickery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-05 12:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15863307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R0gue/pseuds/R0gue
Summary: Riko is the reluctant heir to the throne of Estaria and her father is determined for her to marry. She is forced to find someone before her eighteenth birthday, lest her father decide for her. Yet, there is only one that has caught her eye, her handmaiden, Yoshiko.Riko must find a way to appease her father, while staying true to her hearts desire.Written for the Love Live Big Bang 2018 (https://lovelivebigbang2018.tumblr.com/)(Chapter 2 has been updated as I messed up and copied the wrong thing initially.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this has taken months to actially write and it has really taken up all of the time that I dedicated to writing. It feels good to finally get back and start posting things again. This has been completed for about two weeks now, however the editing has taken quite a while and I only finalised this chapter yesterday.
> 
> We never got a posting date for the event so I'm going to be posting these chapters every other day, finishing on the 11th. I don't know when my partner will be posting their part of the event, but you can find them here:  
> http://bleached-potato.tumblr.com/
> 
> I'll update the notes to include the link to their post when they finalise it.
> 
> I also want to thank the people that were kind enough to beta read this for me. There were quite a few so I won't list them all, but just know that if you helped out in some way, thank you so much.
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling, I hope you enjoy.

The great hall of Oakenfield Castle is packed full of people, a usual occurrence as of late. All the figures are seated at large circular oak tables, each topped with the leftovers of a feast. The room is filled with idle chatter amongst the men with the occasional shout here and there when a statement needs the extra emphasis. The scent of roast meat still lingers in the air.

Seated on an ornate throne at the back of the room is a man, bedecked in a shirt of gold brocade and breaches of crimson silk; his beard is black and combed with wax narrowing to a point just below his chin. On his head, sits a circular band of gold with spikes pointing towards the sky. Encrusted into the metal are gemstones of red and blue. 

He is looking out over the room, watching a figure approaching the throne. It is a man dressed in a muddy brown surcoat, matching the color of his short hair. In his hands, he is holding a cushion with a large blue gemstone resting upon it. Instead of walking up to the king, he instead turns to the left, towards a girl seated next to him. 

The girl is seated on a smaller and less intricate throne; dressed in a crimson dress to match the hair that is tied in a braid down her back. She has a silver circlet on her head, with a few red and blue gemstones in the center. In her hands is a bunch of lilies that she occasionally lifts up to her nose to take in their strong scent. She is not paying any attention to the man who is walking up to her, instead, her attention is on her surroundings, looking at the painted depictions of battles that are hanging from the right wall of the room.

“Princess Riko, I am Sir Beval and I bring you a sapphire, a family treasure of mine.” The man places the cushion down onto the floor in front of him.

As he continues to talk, the princess looks down from the paintings the suits of armor that lies below them, each clutching a longsword by the pommel, pointing the blade towards the marble ground at their feet. Her mouth opens slightly into a yawn.

“Enough!” The king’s voice echoes around the room, silencing the hall and causing all the eyes in the room to fall to him. He is glaring down at Riko, his hands clutching at the arms of his throne. He takes a deep breath in and turns towards the knight standing before the princess. “Sir Beval, I am sorry for my daughter’s actions, you may return to your seat.”

All eyes in the room follow the knight as he bows towards the king and shuffles back to his seat. When the room is finally silent once more, the King looks back at his daughter. “Riko, I have tried to be fair, I gave you a chance to decide for yourself, but it is clear that all you do with this power is abuse my patience.” He rises to his feet, looking down over the Princess. “Hundreds of men have walked through those doors, all coming here, traveling many moons, just for the chance that they might take your hand in marriage.” The king starts to pace in front of his throne, the sounds of his boots on the marble floor echoing around the room.

“How is it that you deny every single one? I understand that you don’t wish to be wed but it is your duty. Failing to pick a suitor will bring shame to yourself, our name and our entire family.” As he says this, he points towards the paintings that are hanging on the left side of the room, each depicting a former king of the realm.

Riko remains silent, no words could ever calm her father in the state she’s in. He’s heard all of her excuses many times and she’s in no state to think of any new ones. Anything she could say will be belittled by her father.

“Thanks to your actions over the past months, I should just decide for you, right here and now.” He pauses, his glare fixed on the princess. “However, I shall give you one last chance.” He walks over to her. “In two months time, you will reach eighteen summers, if you have not decided before then, then I shall be forced to relinquish you of your decision and I shall decide for myself.” As the echoes from his voice slowly die, it is replaced by the sounds of people whispering and muttering.

The lilies in Riko’s hands fall from her hands onto her lap. Her body is frozen, unable to move from the seat below her. “F-Father…”

“You leave me no other choice.” He steadies his pacing and resumes staring at her. “You will hopefully start to pay more attention now.”

Riko pushes herself off of the chair, the lilies tumbling from her lap to the floor. She steps closer to the king, opening her mouth as if to defend herself. No sound leaves her lips. The mutters of the visitors start to get louder and louder. Her eyes dart around the room, catching the eyes of the suitors that have come to visit her.

“I’m done for today.” She turns around and walks towards the nearest door out of the room, every single person watching her as she does.

 

* * *

Riko collapses onto her bed, her fists pounding against the mattress. She rolls onto her back and lets out a cry of frustration. She stares up at the ceiling. It was a common occurrence in the past year, the intricate pattern of swirls that make it up has proved a valuable escape from her situation.

“Why can’t you see that I want someone who likes me for who I am.” She sighs at the pointlessness of her words.  _ I know he’ll never understand. _ As she continues to stare at it, the decoration on her ceiling gives the illusion that the curls are shifting around, dancing above her. “They all want me for the throne.”

The door creaks open. Riko looks up to see the familiar black and white uniform of her handmaiden, Yoshiko. “Princess, are you alright?”

Riko falls back against her bed. “I suppose you heard what happened.”

“I did, princess.” She takes a few steps into the room. “News travels fast in this castle.”

“Haven’t I told you many times, to call me by my name?” She rolls over on the bed until she reaches the edge.

“It is not my place to do so princess.” She bows her head.

Riko lets out a cry of frustration as she pushes herself up. “Why does he not take a few seconds to think about what I want?”

Yoshiko walks to the large oak wardrobe next to the bed. “He wants you to find someone before you get even older.” Their eyes meet locking gazes before they start to burst into laughter. 

“You’re only a year younger than me, don’t get too ahead of yourself.” Riko retorts, her lips return to a warm smile. “Thank you, I needed something to cheer me up.”

“You’re welcome, princess.” Yoshiko opens the doors to the wardrobe and picks through the clothing hanging inside. “It’s not like your father can do anything else, this is how marriages have been arranged for centuries.”

Riko opens the window and gazes out, looking over the giant lake and towards the mountains that pierce the clouds on the other side. _ One day I’ll find my own way past those and over the horizon. _ She twists a strand of hair around her finger. “I want to explore the world, meet someone who truly cares for me, who knows… me.”

She turns around to find Yoshiko standing there, presenting a dress for her. “Someone like you…” The words slip from Riko’s lips before she can catch them. Her cheeks flare up at the realization of what she’d said finally sinks in. The dress in Yoshiko’s hands slides through her fingers and onto the floor.

“N-Not actually you though.” Riko feels her body heating up. She tucks the strand of hair she’s been fiddling with behind her ear, averting her gaze from the other girl.  _ That was too close. _

An air of silence falls over the two.  _ What do I say now? _ Riko’s mind spirals into chaos as her thoughts dance from leaning in and kissing the girl, to running away and leaving her there. “I… I… I’ll get changed now…”

She bends down to pick the dress up, as Yoshiko does the same, their fingers accidentally brushing. Blood immediately floods to Riko’s cheek. Her hand pulls away as Yoshiko’s continues to pick up the garment. “Princess… you shouldn’t task yourself with things such as this.” As Yoshiko stands back up, she hides her face behind the dress. “It doesn’t look creased.”

“Thank you…” Riko reaches out and takes the dress, it’s a light red color, with small pink flowers scattered around the fabric. She sees Yoshiko’s mouth open slightly, as if she’s going to say something, instead, she takes a step back and turns away.

Riko places the clothing down on the bed next to her and undoes the ties of her dress, the feeling of the fabric loosening around her body provides some much-needed comfort. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.  _ Alright, I think I’m alright now. _ She resumes pulling her dress off her body before turning towards the new garment. Once she has worked the new dress onto her body, she reaches out and taps her handmaiden on the shoulder. “Yoshiko, do you mind fastening it for me?”

Their eyes meet briefly as Yoshiko turns around, causing both girls to quickly glance away. Her handmaiden drifts over to Riko. “Do you mind turning around princess?”

“Of course not,” Riko shifts to face the wall. After a few seconds, she feels delicate hands, glide over the skin of her back as they pick up the ties of her dress and start to tighten them, sending shivers down her spine.  _ Father would be furious if he ever found out about these feelings. _ Yoshiko’s hands finish adjusting the dress and begin to work on her hair, running it through fingers.  _ I wish I could spend all day with her. _

“All done princess,” Yoshiko steps back, giving Riko space to turn back around. As she does, their eyes make contact.

Riko has to fight the urges to close the gap between them and press their lips together. Her hands come together in front of her body, her thumb starting to stroke the back of her hand.  _ Something about this girl is enough to make me lose my sense of reason. _ She closes her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. “Thank you, Yoshiko.” She flashes a smile towards her handmaiden and walks from the room.

 

* * *

Riko’s favorite place in the castle is the library. It’s a small and cluttered room; the walls are lined with shelves, each one crammed full. In the center is a table with even more books piled on top of it. Next to the table is a large velvet cushion. Riko has frequented this room since she first learned to read and she doubts she’s tackled half of the stories that are hidden here.

Initially, she’d wondered why they didn’t have a larger room if they had so many books, but as the years had passed, she’d realized that she had never once seen anyone else enter or leave the room. This had answered that question, but lead the way to many more. She’d tried to ask her father about the room once, but he’d dismissed her with a wave.

Riko visits the room every morning, taking some time to herself before the monotonous task that is her suitor visits. Today is no exception, especially after the news that her father dropped on her the previous day.

“What am I going to do?” Riko verbalizes her thoughts as she places a book down onto the table. She has been staring at the pages for what feels like hours, her mind ticking away on how to proceed. “I can’t let him choose someone for me.”

Riko sighs and lies back on the cushion, her hair cascading down the sides. “He’ll choose someone for power, someone who has a  _ high standing _ , someone who is the same as all the others.” Her eyes fall to a small moth, stuck in the middle of a spider web. It struggles against the sticky string, trying to break free as a spider creeps closer.

She watches the futile attempts of the moth in the web until it is fully entrapped by its pursuer, ready to become its meal. Her thoughts eventually drift to her handmaiden.  _ What do I do about Yoshiko? _ She doesn’t dare say the words out loud.  _ I wish it were allowed for me to love her. _

“Princess?” A knock on the door follows the words, snapping Riko from her thoughts as the familiar voice makes her smile. “You need to start getting ready.”

Riko pushes herself to her feet, saunters to the door, looks one last time around the room, takes a deep breath and opens it.

 

* * *

After Riko takes a bath, Yoshiko helps her into a dark green dress, one of Riko’s favorites. She loves how the color contrasts with the golden vine pattern that adorns it. She uses those thoughts to distract herself from the girl behind her.

“All done princess,” Yoshiko says coyly as the girl steps away. “Do you need any more assistance?”

“No, thank you.” Riko turns around to look at her. “You’ve done an amazing job, as usual.” Without thinking it through, she leans forward and presses a kiss to the girl’s forehead. 

Her body freezes.  _ What did I do? _

Before her handmaiden can speak, Riko runs from the room.

As she leaves the room, Riko runs head first into someone. She blinks a few times and shakes her head, regaining her composure. She looks up to see a man there. He is dressed in a pitch black surcoat, with crimson stitching etched into the fabric. On his right breast is more crimson, forming the symbol of a Snake coiling around a sword. He looks down at her. Riko sees a flash of anger on his face before it relaxes.

“Have no fear, my good lady.” His voice sounds highborn, like so many she has heard day after day for months. To most, it would be this, but Riko hears something else in there, that makes the words sound sinister. “I take all the blame for not watching where I was going.”

Riko straightens herself up. “Still, I shouldn’t have been running out of my bedroom.” She catches a glint in his eyes as she says this.

“Well princess, may I walk with you?” He holds his hand out towards her.

Riko looks at it for a second before realizing exactly what he said.  _ Of course, he’s another one of them.  _ She shakes her head.  _ He wants to spend a little time with me, to get the upper hand on the others. _ “No, thank you; I have something I need to do first.”

As she is about to turn and walk in the opposite direction, he reaches over and grabs her arm. “Is that a way to treat your future husband?”

“Excuse me?” Riko turns back to face him, partly to defend herself and partly because he is forcibly pulling her closer.  _ If he thinks I would ever choose someone like him- _ She doesn’t finish the thought, instead, she finds herself being pressed back against the wall. “What are you doing?”

She is pinned to the wall by his hand on her arm. His voice is a whisper, his lips right next to her ear. “I am the perfect choice for you, I come from a wealthy house, my father knows yours and-”

A shout comes from down the hall, cutting his voice off. He pushes away, cursing under his breath. He stares into Riko’s eyes for a few moments before walking away. Heading towards the main hall.

A figure runs up to her, placing his hand on Riko’s shoulder. “Are you alright there?”

Riko looks up to see the face of someone who looks more like a boy than a man. His face is lit up with a warm smile, his eyes are light blue and warm, but she notices a hint of worry in them as well.  He has long wavy muddy brown hair, which is left to fall down his back, below his shoulders. His face is smooth; showing no signs of aging, only a single scar along his cheek ruins what could almost be called perfection. He is dressed in a pale blue surcoat, the same symbol decorating his right breast.

Riko blinks a few times and looks after the man that had pinned her there.  _ He’s gone. I hope I don’t have to see him again. _ “Yes, thank you.” She pushes back against the wall, standing up straight and brushing the dust from her. “I should be good from here on.”

“That’s good to hear.” The boy removes his hand from her shoulder. “It looked like he was trying to… well, I’m not sure what exactly.”

Riko shakes her head. “It was a… misunderstanding.” Riko turns back to face him. “Thank you for asking though.” She bows her head towards him.  _ And for saving me. _

“You don’t need to thank me, princess, I didn’t do anything special.” His hands start to fiddle with the ties of his jacket. “If you don’t mind, I should get going.”

Riko bows her head again and holds her hand out, pointing down the hall. “You don’t have to ask me.” She watches him scamper away and a smile breaks out onto her face.

After a few seconds, Riko shakes her head and begins to saunter down the hallway, trying to bide as much time as she can before the events of the afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took the longest to get done and I've only just finished the editting process for it, despite most of the rest of the fic being done already. I hope that you do enjoy reading and I'll be back in 2 days time with the next chapter.

Riko feels the eyes of her father bearing down on her. As she looks around the room, she can see people whispering to each other, pointing at her as they do. There is none of the normal laughter from the groups of people, none of the joyous talk, deadpan expressions is all that remains.

The king slowly rises to his feet, quieting the mutters of the congregation. “Now then, I must first thank you all for coming.” He looks over the crowd as if he’s assessing each of the men one by one. “I know these past months have been uneventful, however, I am sure that amongst you, hides the key to my daughter’s heart.” His eyes glare back at Riko with a look that says  _ You’re exhausting my patience.  _ “So, I wish you all good luck, may the first suitor please make an appearance.”

As the king sits down on his chair, a large man dressed in a red velvet bell-shaped dress, golden undershirt and a bear skin cape attached to his shoulders. His black hair is cut short and pokes out in many directions, it is connected to his bushy beard by hair up the side of his face. His eyes are a bright blue and his mouth seems to be chewing on something as he steps up to the front of the room.

“Princess Riko.” His deep voice echoes throughout the hall, making sure all eyes are on him. “I am baron Ulmer, son of the late baron Wymer.” He continues chewing on whatever is in his mouth for a few moments before swallowing it. “I bring you no gift, however, I can offer you a very warm bed and a wonderful place to live.” He nods to himself a few times. “My late wife gave life to three lovely daughters who are a few years your younger, I’m sure you’d get on lovely with them and I’m sure that if you were up for it then we could add a son to the mix.”

Riko slowly looks over at him. “Baron Ulmer, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it will work out between us.” She bows her head towards him. “Thank you for your ti-”

“Outrageous!” He interrupts the princess. “You haven’t even given me a once over. At least let me tell you about my greatest achievements.”

“While I’d love to listen, I really don’t think we have the time.” Riko forces a friendly smile onto her face, hiding the impatience in her mind.  _ How does he think I could pick anyone like that?  _ Her eyes flash to her father who just seems to be watching the baron stand there.

“Well then, I shall take my wealth elsewhere.” With a frustrated grunt, he plods over to his seat and sits down, picking up a leg of lamb and starting to bite at the meat.

The room is still for a few moments, as the last echoes of the baron’s voice die down.  _ Please, tell me they aren’t all going to be like him. _ Riko looks up at the paintings of her ancestors.  _ Why do I have to be put through all this? _

“Next!” The king shouts out across the room. 

A young man slowly pushes himself to his feet, drawing everyone’s attention with the loud sounds of the metal plates of his armor clinking together. It is not the first knight who has tried to impress Riko with his battle wear, but it is the first to trip over a table leg while doing so. The sounds of crashing metal fill the room as he topples to the floor, immediately followed by a loud cursing. 

Riko can’t help but stretch her neck to see if she can get a better look at him.  _ Is he alright? _ Her answer comes in a few seconds when she sees him slowly push himself to his feet. The man looks around the room a few times before continuing his path towards her.

“Greeting Princess.” His voice speaks as if he hadn’t just made a fool of himself in front of a hundred powerful men and women. “My name is Sir Rylan.” He kneels down before her. “I bring you the gift of a beautiful white mare, waiting for you in the stables, as well as a promise that I shall always be by your side to protect you from whatever dangers you may face.”

Riko looks at him for a few moments before she turns her head to the side, to the paintings of battles and the knights depicted upon them.  _ What makes you any different from the many who’ve come here before offering the same? _ She looks back at him, only to hear him boasting about some tournament that he placed highly in. 

Once he has finished, Riko catches his eye. “While I appreciate your efforts, Sir Rylan, I’m afraid they don’t quite appeal to me.” She bows her head towards him as she did the baron before. “I wish you a strong arm in your future battles though.”

A flash of anger lights his face up for a few seconds before he kneels down, facing her. “Thank you, princess.” The room is filled with the sounds of metal clunking as he returns to his seat.

As Riko watches him, she fails to notice another approach her. “Good afternoon, princess.” A familiar voice catches her ear and the man that had pinned her against the wall earlier was standing in front of her. “Let me introduce myself.”

Riko’s fingers fumble with the edges of her chair, her body constantly shifting around, unable to find a position that feels comfy.  _ I don’t want to have to deal with him again. _ She flashes a look of disgust on her face as she turns to look away from him.  _ You better be quick. _

“I am Prince Damian, second son of King Edward, ruler of the northern realm.” He doesn’t notice her disinterest, and if he had, he didn’t care. “I have traveled weeks to present myself before you, bringing you the gift of a magical crystal that, if you look into it, will show you the person you are destined to be with.”

He produces a small package and steps closer to Riko. “This is my gift to you and you alone, no one else may use this.” He nears Riko and she is forced to look at him.

The package is set down in front of her and she watches his lips curl into a smirk as he parts the cloth that surrounds the crystal. A shining blue sphere is hidden underneath, the lights above them catching it and making it glisten. A mist swirls around inside the gem, sending a chill down the princess’ spine. Riko sees a figure appear, after a few seconds she recognizes it.  _ This can’t be happening. _

Inside the sphere is the image of Damian.

“Well princess, what do you see?” Damian taps the top of the crystal and steps back. “When I gazed in there, all I saw was a beautiful woman that looks exactly like you do today.”

Riko doesn’t answer. Her hands curl into fists, squeezing so tightly that the whites of her knuckles begin to show. Whispers fill the room, getting louder and louder.

“I look forward to you accepting your destiny.” Damian blows a kiss towards her as a figure runs up to him. “What do you want brother?”

It takes Riko a few seconds to recognize him, but it appears to be the man who had approached her earlier, after Damian had taken flight.  _ Was that just some trick to get me to pay more attention to them? _ If it was, it was working. Despite how angry she is at Damian, she can’t take her eyes off the two men, wanting to know what is being said.

“You can’t…” She hears the brother say the two words louder before his voice quietens and the rest is lost to Damian’s ears. The man’s eyes dart towards the crystal at Riko’s feet a few seconds later.

She looks down at the cloth that’s covering the cursed gem.  _ There’s no way that can be true. _ She shakes her head, just as an idea forms inside of it.  _ What if… _ “You there, what’s your name?” She points at Damian’s brother, looking over at the two of them.

The two of them stop muttering as they hear this. “Didn’t I tell you already, princess? It’s Damian.” He steps in front of his brother as he says this, moving into the path of Riko’s finger.

She shakes her head. “Of course I heard your name, I’m talking about him.” 

The man steps out from behind Damian. “Me?” When Riko nods in response, the man’s eyes start to widen. “My name is Cederic, I am his younger brother.”

Riko’s eyes dart towards the proud prince and see him scowling at his brother.  _ You deserve so much worse than this. _ “Can you come a little closer.” She watches him gingerly take two steps forward before she turns to the king. “Father, he may not be one of the suitors, but I pick him to be my husband.”

A silence fills the room. Everyone stares at Riko, then at Cederic, then at the king, waiting for something to happen. 

“Him?” Damian is the first to react. He looks over at Cederic. “Did you not see me in the crystal?” He tries to step closer, but two guards step in front of the princess. “We are destined to be together! You are not meant for my stupid brother.”

“I would never choose someone like you.” Riko snaps at him. She bends down, picking up his crystal. “I don’t know what magic you used, but I will do everything in my power to make sure it will not come true.” She drops the crystal to the floor. The outer shell of glass shatters and the smoke trapped inside it dissipates, leaving behind a small statuette of Damian amongst a pile of glass.

As soon as he sees this, the King stands to his feet and clears his throat. “Firstly, Riko, are you sure that this is who you would marry?”

She closes her eyes.  _ No, I’m not. But, I have to do this. _ “Yes…”

He nods for a few moments, his eyes flicking to Cederic for a few seconds before they fall to the smashed remnants of the crystal and then to Damian. “Guards!”

A look of panic flashes onto the prince’s face and he starts looking around frantically, watching the many guards in the room slowly encircle him. “Wh-What are you-”

“You dare try to trick a member of the royal family?” The king’s voice bounces on the walls of the hall. “I would never have thought that someone would even dare to try such a deed under my own nose.” He steps over to the man, guards parting to allow his way. “However, I do not wish to cause an uproar from our father.” He steps closer to Damian, but his excess height allows him to tower over the prince. “So, all I shall do is speed up your departure. You will leave tomorrow morning and will return back to where you came from, with the tales of your failure and misdeeds.”

As this is happening, Riko stands from her seat and walks towards the nearest exit. Her mind wondering what she’s gotten herself into. Just before she leaves, she looks over her shoulder and spies Cederic watching her with wide eyes.  _ I’m sorry. _ She wishes she could tell him the words directly before she slips from the room, making her way to her chambers as quickly as possible.

 

* * *

 

 

Riko doesn’t take her usual morning trip to the library the next day. She lies in bed, staring at the ceiling.  _ What have I gotten myself into? _ She rolls onto her side, staring outside the open window.  _ I suppose I’m engaged now. _ She smiles at the situation.  _ Who knew that my special someone would end up being someone I don’t even love? _

A knock sounds throughout the room. “Princess, may I come in?” Hearing Yoshiko’s voice makes her smile and she pushes herself to an upright position.

“Yes, you’re always welcome to.” Riko calls out towards her handmaiden. The door opens and the familiar face of her Yoshiko comes into sight. “And you can call me Riko.”

Yoshiko makes her way over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know.” Riko leans back against the wall. “I don’t know what to think, what to do, what to feel…” She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she reopens them, Riko sees Yoshiko staring at her.

They stare into each other’s eyes for what feels like hours. Yoshiko breaks the eye contact, turning to face the window as she sits down on the bed, closing her eyes. “You don’t actually like him, do you?”

Riko takes a few seconds to figure out what her handmaiden means. “No… I… I wanted it to be over.”

Yoshiko smiles and she looks back over at the princess. “What are you going to do?”

“Let’s see what happens.” The two lock eyes once more before bursting into laughter. Riko shifts back down the bed, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. “We don’t get to talk much like this anymore.”

Riko’s lips widen into a larger smile.  _ Thank you. _ She doesn’t feel the need to say it aloud, instead, she reaches over and takes Yoshiko’s hand in her own, pulling her onto the bed next to her.

“P-Princess!” Yoshiko’s eyes widen as she realizes her new position. “What are you…”

“Can’t I be a little selfish?” Riko slides a little closer to her handmaiden so their bodies are right next to each other. “I don’t know when I’ll get another opportunity to spend some time with you like this.”

Yoshiko’s free hand fiddles with the ties of her apron. “A-Alright…” She turns to face Riko, locking eyes for the third time this morning. “We used to do this a lot didn’t we?”

“Indeed…” Riko resists the urge to reach over and cup the girl’s cheek.  _ Those were the moments that made me fall for you.  _ “We used to talk about what it’d be like to be in love.” She closes her eyes and pictures Cederic.  _ I suppose I’m going to have to find out. _

“I am sure you’ll come to love him eventually.” Yoshiko squeezes Riko’s hand, hoping to comfort the princess. “I doubt you would choose someone that is bad.”

Riko nods. “Let’s hope so.” She keeps her eyes closed, her breathing slow and methodical as she relaxes, feeling at ease knowing that Yoshiko is right next to her. Subconsciously, her body slides closer, her hand untangles itself with Yoshiko’s and slides under the girl’s neck.

To her surprise, she feels a hand snake around her own hips. “Yoshiko…” Her voice is just a whisper as her eyelids slowly shut over her eyes. “Do you remember the last time we were like this?”

Yoshiko responds by nodding her head and the room is filled by a warm silence. Riko’s mind slowly drifts back, a smile forming on her face as the memory fades into view. They’d spent the day in her room, pretending to get married to each other. It was just as Riko’s suitor visits were beginning and she’d suggested that they get some practice in before she has to go through the real thing. They had gone out and picked a bunch of lilies from the gardens and were using them as a bouquet. While they were holding them, Yoshiko had said that the lilies reminded her of Riko. When she’d been questioned, the girl simply said, “You are wild, but also beautiful, just like the flowers.” 

After the ceremony, they’d ended up cuddled up on the bed, the covers pulled all the way over their heads. As they laid there together, Riko had felt an urge to lean in and kiss Yoshiko on the forehead, and she had, right as her handmaiden had drifted off to sleep. As she laid there, watching the girl, she started to think about how much she wished that the wedding was the real thing.

Riko gets so caught up in her dream that she doesn’t realize that her breathing is slowing down, her body relaxes and sleep slowly takes over her body.

The last thing she registers is a pair of lips pressing against her forehead and five simple words. “You’ll always be my lily.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to apologize to anyone who viewed the 2nd chapter in the first few minutes of posting. I accidentally uploaded the wrong version of the document and it made the whole thing make no sense. I wasn't really feeling the best that day so I hope it didn't confuse too many people.
> 
> Anyway I have finished this fic now so all I really have to do is just publish a chapter every other day. There are a few things I would change if I had more time, however I am happy with the result that has come from this.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has decided to read it.

Riko’s eyes reopen to the rhythmic tap of rain against the walls of the castle. She sits up and looks around the room. _How long have I been asleep?_ She rubs her eyes and lets out a yawn. _I should get some clothes on._

She pulls the covers off her and pushes herself up and onto her feet. She finds herself staring outside the window, gazing over towards the mountains.

A knock echoes through the room, snapping Riko from her daze. Her head snaps towards the door before a soft voice eases her worries. “Princess, may I come in?”

“Of course you may Yoshiko.” Riko’s face lights up with a smile as she turns to watch the door open and her handmaiden step through.

“I’ve come to help you get ready; your father wants you to spend the evening in the palace gardens.” Yoshiko steps further into the room and lets the door shut behind her. “Your future husband will be joining you.”

“I see…” Riko’s lips fall back to a neutral state. She takes one more glance out the window, listening to the drumming rain in her brief moment of silence, before turning back towards Yoshiko. “I trust your decision of outfit.”

“If that is what you wish, princess.” Yoshiko glides over to the wardrobe and picks through the dresses hanging within.

Whilst she waits, Riko reaches behind her back and undoes the ties of her current dress. She closes her eyes and memories of their time before she was asleep flood back into her head. _Yoshiko kissed my forehead_.

Riko glances behind her and can’t help but stare at Yoshiko as her handmaiden compares the different dresses that are hanging there. _I’ve never noticed how hard she concentrates before._ Riko feels her lips curl back into a smile.

“How does this look, princess?”

“Beautiful….” Riko lets the words slip from her lips without realizing what Yoshiko is referencing, her gaze is still locked on her handmaiden.

“I’ll help you get changed then.” Yoshiko carries the dress over towards Riko, pausing a few steps away from her. “Are you alright, princess?”

Riko blinks as she’s snapped from her daze. “Oh… yes. I’m alright.” She feels her cheeks heating up and she finally looks to the outfit that is being presented to her. It is a dark blue dress that has a white front to it, with blue laces on the front to tighten it. Bordering the blue fabric is a golden and white ribbon. “G-Give me a moment to finish undressing.”

“Do you require assistance?” Yoshiko takes a step closer.

As much as she wants to say yes, Riko shakes her head. “You do not need to concern yourself, but thank you for offering.” _I don’t know what I would do if that happened._ She resumes undoing the ties of her dress as the intensity of the heat in her cheeks rises. Her hands start to shake, making her attempts at undoing her dress futile.

A hand touches Riko’s behind her back. She reopens eyes she didn’t even know were closed to see Yoshiko standing right in front of her, with one arm reaching behind. Her handmaiden averts her gaze as soon as she realizes that Riko has noticed. “S-Sorry, you seemed to… need the help.”

Riko’s body freezes up. _She’s so close to me…_ Her heart beats faster and her body begins to warm, starting in her chest before slowly spreading out over the rest of her body. _I need to get out of this situation, but I… I don’t want to._

“Can you turn around, princess?” Yoshiko asks, turning back to look at the girl in front of her.

Riko shakes her head, takes a deep breath and presses her lips to Yoshiko’s.

Riko often dreams of what her first kiss will be like, in all those dreams, she’s never once imagined it would be like this. She can feel the smoothness of Yoshiko’s lips against her own, the warmth of the girl’s body against her own, and their scents combining into one. Her hands fall from behind her back and make their way to her handmaiden’s hips, pulling her body closer.

When their lips break away from each other, Riko immediately feels a sense of longing. _Why can’t I stay like that forever?_ She presses her forehead to Yoshiko’s and whispers, “I’m sorry.”

Yoshiko remains silent. There are no other words that are needed to be said. They stay there, arms keeping the other as close as possible.

“You still need to get ready, princess.”

The words shatter everything that was perfect about the situation for Riko. Memories of the previous day flood back into her mind. _Cederic._ It feels as if her heart has been ripped from her chest. _I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with her, forever._ She breaks their embrace and a sigh escapes her lips..

“I know.”

 

* * *

 

 

The sun is peeking over the walls of the castle by the time Riko makes it down to the gardens. With the two of them being as flustered as they were, it had taken longer than necessary for them to finish getting her dressed.

“Where have you been?” Her father calls out in a stern voice. “You should’ve been here ages ago.”

Riko looks over at him. “I had a few… difficulties with getting dressed.” Her thumb taps on the back of her palm.

The king’s face flashes with a look of disapproval, but he still beckons her closer. “It doesn’t matter now I suppose, what is important is that you’re here.” He pauses, looking back over his shoulder at a second figure that Riko finally notices. “I’ll be leaving you two then.”

Riko looks over at Cederic as her father begins to walk away. His attire from the previous day has vanished; in its place is a much smarter tunic. His hair had been brushed thoroughly and looks more orderly than it had the previous day. She was about to look away, but something in his eyes caught her attention.

His eyes are darting around the place, his hands are fidgeting with each other as they hang in front of him and his feet are shifting around slightly. _He’s nervous._

Riko feels herself relax. _Maybe this won’t be so bad._ She glances back towards the castle briefly before turning back towards Cederic. “How have you been?”

“Well, it’s been a little overwhelming, if I’m being honest.” He looks around the castle. “I saw my brother off this morning, but after that I’ve been rushed around all day.”

Riko felt her fists clench as she hears reference to Damian. _Good to know he’s gone._ “Why did he bring you here, if his goal was just to trick me?”

“I…” He pauses, his eyes staring at her. “He wanted me to be there when you… chose him. It was meant to taunt me. He’s always been like that, trying to prove himself the better just because he’s older.” He gazes off into the distance, staring out over towards the castle gardens. “We both wanted to come here as suitors, but he convinced father that he was the only choice, then he just dragged me along.”

As he spoke there was a look of hurt in his eyes. Riko found herself unable to look away from him, feeling drawn by his words. She reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. _I am glad that he got what was coming to him._ “Well… you are free now.”

“And to that, I only have you to thank.” He turns back to meet her gaze.

Riko nods before looking towards the gardens. “Shall we walk?” Cederic responds with a nod and the two start walking.

The gardens themselves aren’t anything special to look at. It is separated into a grid-like layout, gravel paths making the lines with small hedges creating a border for the inner squares. Inside each hedge segment is a different type of crop, most of them almost ready for harvest. The main purpose of the gardens was to provide produce to the castle kitchens. Riko has never felt any reason to learn what is where in the gardens; however she knows that amongst the segments are carrots, cauliflowers, parsnips and cabbages. It left the place with a very earthy smell. She does know which herbs are where, as she used to be fascinated by the smells. She and Yoshiko used to come out here and pick some of the rosemary, or the thyme. A smile lights up her face as she remembers these times.

“Are you fond of this place?” His words snap Riko from her daze and she remembers who she’s with.

“No, not really,” Riko looks over at him. _I need to stop thinking about that._ Her hands come together in front of her body. “I rarely get a chance to step from the castle, especially since the suitor visits started.” She sighs and looks around the surrounding area. “I spend a lot of my free time in the castle library.”

“It has a library?” Cederic looks at her with furrowed brows. “I wasn’t shown where that was on my tour.”

“Well, I call it a library, but it’s more of a cluttered storeroom than anything.” Riko looks up at the castle, in the rough direction of her special place. “I’m pretty much the only person who uses it.”

“You’ll have to show it to me sometimes, I love reading.” His personality seems to have completely changed; the nervousness that she’d seen the previous day is no longer present in his eyes.

“You do?” Riko’s eyes widen a little. _I don’t know the last time I met someone else who liked reading._

“Indeed, I would spend hours in the library back home.” His gaze looks off, following a blackbird as it takes off from a nearby tree. “It’s amazing how much you can learn from a good book.”

“What was your library like?” Riko looks over towards Cederic. “I assume it’s larger than the one here.”

“From your description, yes.” His gaze turns back to meet hers. It lingers there for a few moments before he looks around. “Alright, if you look at that hedge there, then imagine a circle from there to the ash tree over there, that is the size of the room.”

Riko’s eyes follow his directions and she gasps. “That’s…” The right words to describe it elude her. “And all that is packed with books?”

He nods. “Bookshelves line the walls, with about seven tiers to them.” He looks around as if he were in the room itself. “You need a ladder to reach the shelves near the top.”

“You have to take me there someday.” Riko takes one more look at the area he sectioned off, before looking back at him. “When all of this is over and we’re…” Her voice catches in her throat, memories of her kiss flood back into her mind, drowning out the imaginary library she’d pictured. Guilt wells up in her body once more. _Oh… right… we have to…_ “...you know…”

“Is something wrong, princess?” He takes a step closer to her, reaching out his hand and placing it on her shoulder.

Riko brushes his hand off of her. “No…” Her eyes close and she takes a deep breath in. _I can’t let this get in the way… I need to talk to Yoshiko about it._ “It is no matter, sorry about that.” She shakes her head and looks back at him.

Cederic looks at her, concern flashing in her eyes. “Should we head back soon?” The joyous tone that had been present before had all but vanished from his voice, leaving the hesitant stammering that remains.

The right words never make it past her lips. _What do I say in this situation? I ruined his evening._ Riko’s eyes dart frantically around, looking for something that might offer her some form of answer.

A hand touches her shoulder. “It’s going to be alright princess.” Riko’s eyes turn themselves to face his. “I don’t want you to force yourself to do something you don’t want to do.” His thumb slowly rubs against her shoulder through her dress.

She takes a deep breath. _Then tell my father to let me choose when and who I want to marry._ She regrets the thought instantly. _I’m sorry._ “Thank you.” Her eyes close slightly, leans in and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll show you the library next time.”

The light kiss catches Cederic by complete surprise. “I um… I can’t wait to see it.” His cheeks are bright red as he stares off into the distance.

Riko giggles as she watches him. “Let me walk you back, I don’t want you getting lost.” She reaches down and takes his hand in her own.

Cederic nods and they slowly make their way back to the castle, neither finding the need to say anything.

 

* * *

 

 

A pair of hands gently shakes Riko from her slumber. Her hands move up to rub the sleep from her eyes and she shifts to an upright position in bed.

“You need to get up, princess.”

Riko turns her head to see Yoshiko standing there next to her bed. She blinks a few times before her mouth opens into a yawn.

“You need to get ready, princess.” Yoshiko’s voice has a quicker pace to it than it usually does, causing Riko to furrow her brows at the girl. “Your father has scheduled another meeting with your future… husband.”

The slight pause in her handmaiden’s words causes memories of the previous evening to re-appear in Riko’s mind. _I kissed her._ It sounds too good to be true, but the sensation of the kiss floods back into her mind and her body fills with warmth. “Yoshiko, I…”

A silence falls over the two as Riko’s words fade in the air. Their eyes are locked together. _I want to kiss her again._ As if responding to her thoughts, she finds herself leaning in closer, her eyes closing and, before she could stop herself, their lips pressed against one another.

Riko finds herself melting at the sensation; it feels as good as she remembers. A soft hand reaches up to her cheek, a thumb brushes against the skin of her face and a hand on her hip. _I never want this feeling to go away._

When the two girls break apart, they keep their eyes closed, resting their foreheads together. They stay like this for what feels like hours.

“Princess…” Yoshiko shakes her head and opens her eyes, pulling back slightly. “We shouldn’t do that again.” Her hand falls from Riko’s cheek and she pulls away.

As the words linger in the air, Riko feels her heart stop. _What does she mean? Did they mean nothing to her?_ She feels her hands tightening on the sheets of the bed. _Was she doing that to humor me? Does she not…_ She quickly pushes the thought out of her head before it can form fully and shakes her head. “I agree.”

The rest of the time spent together, is in silence. Riko gets dressed into whatever dress Yoshiko picks out without really looking at it, she lets her handmaiden do everything, something that she hasn’t done for many years. Occasionally, their gazes meet and both girls quickly avert their eyes.

It is a long and arduous process, but eventually, the princess is ready for the day. A silence falls over the two as Riko can’t help but look over at Yoshiko. _What did she mean by that?_ She wants to say the words out loud, but nothing makes it past her lips, instead, it comes out as “Thank you.”

Riko quickly backs out of the room and collapses against the wall. _Why would she kiss me again if she doesn’t like me back?_ Her heart tightens in her chest and she feels tears start to well up in her eyes. She immediately shakes her head and takes a deep breath. _I can’t cry, everyone will be able to tell._ Her eyelids close over her eyes and she slowly inhales. “Alright… let’s get on with this.”

She stands up straight and brushes her clothes down. Her eyes dart towards the door to her room for a second before she starts walking down the hallway.

 

* * *

 

 

The next few hours pass like a gust of wind for Riko. She vaguely hears her father’s words as he addresses Cederic and her about the upcoming preparations that have been made for their wedding. The few bits she does catch make her stomach sink. It sounds horrible. A formal gathering, the standard church ceremony and some form of banquet.

To take her mind off of Yoshiko, she imagines what her wedding would be like if she got to plan it. It would take place in a forest, by a stream. Someplace where you could really feel in touch with nature. The chirps of birds could be heard above, the rustling of small animals in the bushes and the flowing of the water. It would be a small event too, only her, her partner, a priest and immediate families. Then, once the ceremony is over, she and her partner would go exploring in the forest, not for anything in particular, to spend some time together and find pleasure. They’d spend the night there and have their first time together, be under the moonlight.

“Well Riko, how does that sound?” The harsh voice of her father addressing her rouses Riko from her daydream.

_What was he talking about?_ Her gaze falls to the king’s face, hoping to gauge the expression.

A whisper from beside her catches her attention. “Lovely.” Her eyes dart to the side and Cederic smiles at her.

“It sounds lovely, father.” _I need to thank Cederic later._ Her gaze focuses on the ground, she doesn’t want to look at the king again in case he realizes that she wasn’t listening. By the continued background noise of his lecture, it appears he doesn’t.

“Well then, I think that covers everything I wanted to tell you two.” His voice raises as he finishes, snapping Riko to attention once more. “I have some business to get to now, so I’ll leave you two to spend the rest of the afternoon how you wish.”

Riko waits till her father is a good distance away before she lets out a sigh. _That really did take as long as it felt._ She closes her eyes for a few seconds, before opening them and turning to Cederic. “I’m sorry, he loves to talk for hours.”

“You don’t need to apologize; it was interesting to listen to.” His eyes dart off towards the direction that the king had left by. “Although something tells me I might have to summarise it for you sometime?”

Riko looks towards the floor. “Was it that obvious?” She reaches up to brush a strand of hair from her face. “I’m… a little distracted today.”

“Is something on your mind?” He reaches over and places a hand on Riko’s shoulder. “I would be happy to listen.”

Riko backs away slightly, before catching herself. _I can’t let him know that something is wrong. What would he say?_ She shakes her head. “It’s… nothing much.”

A silence falls over the two. Riko stands there, her fingers tapping themselves against the fabric of her dress. After a deep breath, she speaks again. “How about I show you the library? You said you wanted to see it.”

“I’d love to see it.” His eyes catch the light as he says this, making him look more like a child than a man.

Riko lets out a small laugh when she sees his reaction. _It’ll also give me something else to think about._ “Follow me, it’s this way.” She looks towards the nearest door from the room that they’re in and walks towards it, Cederic following a few paces behind.

It doesn’t take too long before the two of them are standing outside the small room that Riko cherishes so much. Riko heads into the room first, quickly flicking her eyes around it before opening the door further. “Welcome to the place where I spend a lot of my time.”

Cederic’s eyes widen as his eyes gaze at all the books that occupy such a small room. He immediately moves over to the nearest bookshelf and looks at the assortment of leather-bound pages that reside there.  Riko lets him explore and takes her usual seat on the cushion, picking up a book from the table and placing it on her lap, starting to scan through the pages for where she left off.

“This place is great, I’ve never even heard of most of these.” He picks up a book from the shelf and flicks through. “Do you have a favorite?”

Riko looks up when she hears his voice and can’t help but smile as she watches him. “I do in fact.” She places her book down and stands up, moving over to stand next to him. She reaches up on top of the bookshelf that they are next to and feels around for something. Once she feels the leather spine, she drags it forward and off of the top.

“I haven’t touched this story for years.” She wipes her hand over the dusty cover, revealing a plain black cover underneath. “I must’ve read it about once a day when I was younger, but one day I had a falling out with father and I put it up there when he threatened to throw it in the fire, and it’s never come down.”

“Oh… that sounds…” He stares at the book in Riko’s hands. “What happened?”

“I decided to sneak out of the castle for the day to read with my handmaiden.” Riko smiles as she recounts the tale. “We spent the day in a forest, reading together and finding pleasure amongst the leaves.” Her smile fades, and she takes a deep breath. “When we returned, father was there waiting for us. He was furious, he threatened the book and I ran from him, straight to here, climbed up the bookcase and put it up there.”

Cederic remains silent for a while after Riko finishes talking. He reaches over and places his hands on top of Riko’s, either side of the black book. “I think this is better left up there for now.” He slides his fingers onto the leather of the cover, before sliding it from the princess’ fingers and placing it back in its hiding place.

Riko doesn’t move her hands from the air, her mind running through her childhood and all the harsh things that her father had ruled upon her. His hands return to hers and she looks up into his eyes. “Thank you… that brought up some bad memories.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” His fingers curl, intertwining with Riko’s, pressing their palms together. “I didn’t think it would’ve had that reaction.”

“It’s alright; there was no way you could’ve known.” Riko gives his fingers a squeeze. Something about him looks different, it could be the dim light of the small room, but his presence draws her closer, and her body subconsciously accepts. Her eyelids slowly close, her head tilts to the side, and their lips slowly draw closer to each other.

The kiss is completely different from her ones with Yoshiko. Cederic’s lips aren’t as soft and his scent is completely different, there is something more masculine about it. Despite the different sensation, it still invokes the same emotions within her. Riko’s heart beats faster and faster in her chest, a shiver runs down her spine. Her hands drop his and she feels her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer, deeper into the kiss.

A few seconds later, Cederic breaks away from the kiss and pushes her back. His face is bright red and he stares off into the distance, as if he’s trying to process what actually happened. “Um… p-princess… did we…”

Riko feels memories of her two kisses with Yoshiko and she feels her heart sink. _I kissed him, and wanted to._ Her hands fall to her sides. “Yes… we did.” The room falls into a silence, broken only by their breathing.

“I should probably head back to my room now.” Riko takes a few seconds before she heads towards the door. Cederic does nothing to prevent her from leaving, he stands there, his eyes wide open.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I completely forgot to post this yesterday, after work I just felt so exhausted and it just slipped my mind. I will still upload chapter 5 tomorrow though.

For the first time in a while, Riko wakes up on her own volition. She pushes herself up to a seated position and rubs the sleep from her eyes.  _ I suppose I don’t have anything planned for today. _ She gets out of bed and makes her way over to the window.  _ I miss the feel of Yoshiko’s hands shaking me awake. _

Her heart tightens in her chest as she thinks about her handmaiden. Her fingers reach up to touch her lips.  _ Why did you kiss me back? Did you not want to hurt me?  _ She turns away from the window and collapses onto her bed. “Yoshiko…” She stares up at the ceiling, taking slow and deep breaths. “Why?” It is then that she feels the tears start to fill her eyes. Riko doesn’t even try to stop them, she lets the water trickle down the sides of her face.

A cry of frustration fills the room as Riko picks up a pillow from her bed and crashes it against her face. “Why?” The pillow hits the wall and, a few seconds later, she is on her feet, tearing her sheets from the bed and throwing them to the floor. “Why does everyone want to hurt me?”

She stomps over to the wardrobe and flings one of the wooden doors open. Dresses start to fly behind her, landing all over the room. “Father,” She slams the door to the wardrobe. “Yoshiko,” She falls backward onto the mess of clothing and bed sheets that litter her floor. “Why can’t I live my life?”

The tears start to stream down her face now. She reaches up a hand to wipe her eyes, but the only thing she achieves is dampening her sleeve. “What am I supposed to do?” Riko slowly pushes herself to her feet and looks around the room. “Why do I have to be a princess?” She reaches up to wipe her eyes again. “Why can’t I have a normal life?”

A knock echoes through the room, followed by a quiet voice. “Princess, are you alright?” It takes her a few moments to realize that the voice belongs to Cederic. “You are making a lot of noise.”

A long silence ensues; Riko stares at the door throughout it all.  _ How much did he hear?  _ She takes a deep breath. “It’s open.” She wipes her eyes once more.

As soon as Cederic opens the door a crack, he lets out a gasp. “Princess?” He quickly slides into the room and shuts the door behind him. “What happened?”

No response comes from the princess; instead, she collapses down on the mattress of her bed, closing her eyes.  _ What can I possibly tell him? That I don’t actually want to marry him? That I love my handmaiden?  _ She shakes her head.  _ It’s all so ridiculous. _

Cederic sits down next to her. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.” He takes her hand in his. “There’s obviously something troubling you.” He slowly rubs the back of her palm with his thumb. “If there is anything I can do to help you though, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Riko feels herself relaxing at the simple gesture. She slows her breathing down and focuses on the feeling of his thumb against her hand. She sits upright and shifts a little closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.” She whispers the words so quietly that he could barely hear them.

Neither of them moves for a while. They sit there in silence as they let the day slowly pass. Eventually, Riko opens her eyes and sits up straight. “I’m sorry you had to see this. It isn’t very ladylike.”

Cederic’s fingers tighten slightly around Riko’s for a few seconds. “Prin-” He’s cut off by a finger pressing against his lips.

“Riko, my name is Riko.” Their gazes lock and he slowly nods.

“E-Riko…” He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through.” He breaks their eye contact and looks to the floor. “Even though we kissed,” He takes a deep breath in. “I know you don’t actually love me.”

Riko’s eyes widen slightly at the statement. She then notices the speed of her heartbeat, the warm feeling that has spread through her body and how relaxed she actually feels.  _ When did I start feeling this way? _ Her free hand reaches up to his cheek and she turns his head to face her, then she gently presses their lips together.

Cederic’s body tenses up at first, not sure how to react, however, he slowly relaxes into the kiss. His free hand moves to her thigh in an attempt to pull her closer to him. The touch sends electricity coursing through Riko’s veins and she leans back, pulling him with her.

The kiss breaks, before Riko’s back hits the mattress and she feels Cederic shake his head. “Pri- Riko… we should stop now.”

Riko collapses back against the bed, but before she can respond, Cederic speaks up again. “You shouldn’t make yourself do things you don’t actually want to do.” He pushes himself up from the bed and to his feet.

Riko keeps her eyes closed and listens to the fast beating of her heart as she hears some movement coming from around her.  _ Why are you so ridiculous? _ She feels her eyes starting to brim with tears.

“I’ll go and find someone to help clear this up.” Cederic’s words cause Riko to sit upright with a start,

“No!” She sees that he is nearly at the door. “I’ll clean it, I made this mess and… I don’t want anyone else to see this.”

“Are you sure?” Cederic looks back at her. “There is a lot to do and…” He stops himself from continuing and Riko sees a hint of regret on his face. “Do you want my help at all?”

Riko shakes her head.  _ I need some time alone to think. _ “Thank you for today Cederic.” She stands up from the bed and walks over to him. Her hand immediately reaches out to his cheek. “I want you to know that you’re wrong.”  Then, she presses her lips against his.

The kiss is broken shortly after as Riko pulls away and the corner of her lips turn down. “But I don’t think I can bring myself to admit it.” Cederic nods towards her and steps back before leaving the room without a word.

 

* * *

 

The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange hue over the castle grounds. The gentle breeze that accompanies it rustles the leaves of the trees and makes the trunks sway from side to side. Underneath a tall oak tree, Riko sat, staring up into the sky and watching the clouds pass ever so slowly.

It was the first time she’d stepped outside the castle since her evening with Cederic and it felt so nice to finally get some fresh air.

“I wonder if anyone will ever understand me.” She accompanies the words with a sigh as she leans back against the bark. Her hand reaches up towards the leaves above her, as one breaks free from its branch and drifts on the wind, gliding out into the air and over the castle walls.

“Princess, can you follow me please?” A voice snaps her from her daze and she turns to see Yoshiko standing there.

Her face lights up for a moment before instantly fading. “What does father want?”

“He wants you to meet him in the dining hall for a feast and the announcing of the plans for the wedding.” Yoshiko’s tone is missing the joy it usually is lined with; instead, it is left with a monotonous drone.

Riko sighs and pushes herself to her feet. “Before I do, please tell me…” She pauses, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in.  _ I need to hear the words from her lips. _ “Why would you kiss me and then tell me that you don’t like me?”

Yoshiko looks at her, her face unchanging. “We’ve been together since we were children…” She brings her hands together in front of her body, her fingers beginning to tap against her knuckles. “We’ve been through a lot together, and I’ve heard some ridiculous things come from that little mouth of yours…” She inhales and turns to look at Riko. “But princess, that is the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

Riko stares at the girl in front of her, not sure what to do or say.  _ What does she mean? What was ridiculous about it? _

“Princess, I’ve loved you for years.” Yoshiko takes a step towards Riko. “Why do you think I’ve been so keen to stay being your handmaiden? It was so I could always be as close to you as possible. I can never be your equal and I could never have dreamt that the feelings I felt would ever be returned, but I knew that I’d be happy as long as I was by your side, helping you out with whatever you need.”

Riko stands there in silence. This is not the answer she was expecting to receive, and that made it all the more perfect to hear. “Yoshiko… but… you said…”

“I said that we shouldn’t kiss again, that doesn’t mean that I don’t like you.” She giggles and reaches out, taking Riko’s hand. “We can’t risk being caught, can you imagine what your father would do if he found out?”

Riko shakes her head. “No, and I don’t want to ever find out.”  _ I feel so ridiculous. _ “I love you, Yoshiko, please never scare me like that again.”

Yoshiko’s face seems to light up as she hears the words, she takes one final step towards Riko, their bodies now almost touching. “I love you too, princess.” They stare into each other’s eyes for a few moments before Yoshiko slowly opens her lips. “I’m sorry Riko; I’m going to have to break my promise.”

The next thing they know, their lips are pressed up against each other. Riko slides her hands down Yoshiko’s sides, stopping when she reaches her handmaiden’s hips. Yoshiko’s arms wrap around Riko’s neck and they both slowly pull the other closer, pressing their bodies flush against each other.

“What is the meaning of this?” A loud voice echoes around the castle grounds, making the two girls immediately spring apart. The king starts walking towards them, his face a mixture of shock and rage. “How dare you!”

Riko immediately places herself between Yoshiko and her father. “Don’t worry… I’ll find a way out of this…”  _ Somehow… _ She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and prepares to face her father.

“Riko, move out of the way!” He finally reaches the two of them. “I will deal with you later.”

“No father, I will not.” Riko stares up into his eyes, doing her best to show no sign of weakness. “If you want to reach her, you must first go through me.”

His eyes glare into Riko’s for a few seconds. “You stand in my way, after everything I’ve done for you.” His hands curl into fists. “How dare you!”

“Everything you’ve done for me?” Riko’s eyes widen in shock. “You’ve done nothing but trap me here, bending me to be your perfect child, taking away any right I have to freedom. Ever since mother die-”

“Don’t you dare speak of her!” His voice echoes off the walls of the castle. “I have done nothing that was not for your benefit. Your games over the last year have gotten tedious. If you do not marry soon, then your claim to this throne could be as lost as your head seems to be.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to marry? Maybe I don’t want to be on the throne?” She reaches back and takes Yoshiko’s hand in her own. “Have you ever once thought about what I might want?”

“What you want, matters not.” He takes a step forward so that he is looming over her. “You still think like a child, you care about what you want and never think about what the right option actually is. Have you thought about what would happen if you didn’t take the throne?” He pauses for a few seconds, as if he was waiting for a response. “No, I thought not. Well, let me tell you. The next in line for the throne would be my brother, the man who has never once proven his worth and is known as the Coward of the Greenfields. Is that what you want? Look at what matters to the world around you, not at what the selfish little brain of yours desires.”

Riko takes a deep breath in. “Yes, sometimes that is exactly what I want.” She pauses for a few moments. “I’m sure he’d be a better father than you.”

Silence falls over the three of them. The king and Riko both have eyes locked, while Yoshiko is staring at the floor, her hand tightening around Riko’s. 

“I am going to pretend that I did not hear that.” The king’s voice is softer than before, but there is a anger to the words. “I thought I had raised you to be better than this, but clearly I have not.” He reaches over and grabs the front of Riko’s dress, pulling her closer to him. “I have had enough of your delusions. You still have a lot to learn about the world.” He releases her, but doesn’t break eye contact. “You will be getting married in two days time, and she will be resigning from her position as your handmaiden and will take residence in the dungeons until I decide what to do with her. I hope that you will find some sense sometime soon.”

Riko’s eyes widen. “You can’t make me do anything.”

He lifts his hand up and strikes her across the cheek. “My word is final.” Two guards appear from behind him and circle round behind Riko, closing in on Yoshiko. “You will do as I say, if you don’t, you will never see her again.”

Riko feels Yoshiko’s hand slip from hers and all the confidence drains from her body. Tears flow down her face and she collapses to her knees. “I hate you.” She looks back up at her father through wet and defeated eyes. “You only care about power, never about the feelings of others. It’s no wonder mother died to escape you.”

The king’s hand swings down to strike Riko again, sending her sprawling onto the dirt below her. “If you knew how much I’ve given up to give you a good life, you would never dream of saying that.” He shakes his head to the side. “Don’t you ever dare speak of your mother again.” 

A few seconds of silence fell over the two, before the king finally turns and walks away, leaving Riko sobbing into the ground. Yoshiko was nowhere to be seen.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAHHHHHHH GDI I FORGOT TO UPLOAD AGAIN YESTERDAY!!!!
> 
> I'm sorry but I'll just upload today and then you'll get the final chapter tomorrow.
> 
> This chapter is rather short compared with the others, but I needed something to connect the previous chapter to the final one.

The library feels more empty than usual. Riko sighs as she enters the room, looking around at the small enclosure that she holds so dear to her heart.  _ Everything in here is forgotten by the entire of the castle, left to crumble to dust over time. _ She collapses onto the cushion.  _ Maybe I should stay here as well. _ Her eyes are red and puffed up, her hair is all over the place and her dress is covered with dirt and full of tears. “Why are you so selfish?” Her voice echoes around the room and it occurs to her that she doesn’t even know if she’s talking to herself or her father. 

Her eyes fall to the top of the bookshelf, where the black leatherbound book, that she enjoyed so much when she was younger, is hiding and, before she can stop herself, she makes her way to her feet, walks over to the bookshelf and pulls it from its hiding place. “I should stop running from it.” She saunters back over to the cushion and collapses onto it, flicking open the book and starting to read through its many pages.

She quickly finds herself lost in its tales of adventure. She climbs up the tallest of mountains, tackles through the thickest of forests, sails across the widest of oceans and traverses through the tough climates of the desert. She follows the young explorer Tanya on their journeys as they search for hidden treasures deep in caves, in shipwrecks underwater and in abandoned temples, all while keeping the very journal that Riko is holding in her hands. She is so lost in it, that she doesn’t hear the door opening and a figure slipping inside.

Once she has finished she closes her eyes and shuts the book, repeating the last line over in her head.  _ I wonder what adventures tomorrow will bring. _ It has always been a line that makes her smile.  _ Is Tanya still out there? Is she still having these adventures? _ She takes a deep breath.  _ What would she say to me if she were here? _

“So you decided to read it again then?” The voice causes Riko to snap out of her daze and immediately look around the room. Cederic was standing there, his back against the wall. “Sorry if I startled you.”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone to have walked in on me.” She places the book down on the table next to her and stands up. “Please knock next time.”

“I did, you were too engrossed to hear it.” He pauses and a silence falls over the two of them. 

“Did you hear… what happened?” Riko finally says, her eyes fixed on the book next to her.

“I think most of the castle did.” He pauses, his fingers tapping against his leg and his eyes looking around the room. “It certainly explains why you didn’t choose a suitor.”

Riko takes a deep breath.  _ What do I say to him? We’re about to marry in a few days. _ After a short pause, she opens her mouth to speak. “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you.”

He walks over to her and places his hand on her shoulder. “It would’ve helped me understand your position better.” 

Riko looks over at him and into his eyes. “You probably have a lot of questions.” 

Cederic chuckles. “A few.” He sits down on the floor next to her. After a few seconds, he continues “If you love her, why did you kiss me?”

Their eye contact breaks as Riko looks away. “The first, was because I thought she didn’t love me in return and wanted another option to turn to.” She slowly inhales, her eyes darting over to where they had first kissed.  _ It feels like it was so long ago.  _ “The second…” She turns back to look him in the eyes. “Was because I started to fall in love with you.” As soon as the words left her lips, Riko finds herself drawn towards him. Her hand cups his cheek and their lips press against each other. 

Cederic breaks the kiss shortly after. “Riko, I…” He stares down at her, looking intensely into her eyes as if they were the gateway to her heart. Then he places his hand gently behind her head and kisses her again. 

Riko finds herself being drawn closer to Cederic. She slides over so she is resting in his lap, her legs either side of his, her hands on the ground beside his face. She feels a hand slide under her dress to grip her thigh. Her heartbeat increases and she feels herself being drawn into him.

The kiss is suddenly broken as Cederic turns his head to the side and slides his hand to her shoulder to push her up slightly. “We need to stop. We might end up doing something… ridiculous.” He immediately withdraws his hand.

“Maybe… I want to.” Riko shifts slightly on top of him.

“You’ll regret it.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead. “Save it for sometime special, not when you’ve gone through what you have.”

Riko takes a deep breath. “You’re probably right.” She shifts back to the cushion she was on before and her hand brushes against the journal that sits there. She gazes at it for a few moments before looking back to Cederic. “Do you want me to read it to you?”

“I…” He looks at the book on the table and then back at her. “I’d like that.”

Riko shifts over on the cushion, allowing some space for Cederic. “Come here then.” She reaches out and takes his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers and pulling him over to her. She then rests her head on his shoulder and places the book on top of their legs as Cederic drops her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder.

The two stay like this as Riko reads the tales of Tanya for the second time in years. As she does, Cederic’s fingers start to draw circles into her shoulder and his head comes to rest against hers.

Once the final line is read, the two sit there, staring at the pages in their lap. Eventually, Cederic sits up and turns his head to look at Riko. “Let’s go on an adventure of our own.” Riko’s eyes widen in surprise. “We’ll break Yoshiko out, and the three of us will go out there and see where life takes us.”

Riko stares back at the journal. “But what about father?” Her hand reaches out to reclaim his. “Won’t he send someone after us?” 

“That’ll add to the adventure.” Cederic’s lips curl into a warm smile. “He’ll never be able to catch up though, we have our path laid out for us.” He points at the leather bound pages that they’d been reading. “It would be a life of thrill, danger… but also freedom.”

Riko looks up towards the one window in the room, gazing out at the sky. “Let’s do it” She looks back over at him, a smile forming on her face. “Let’s run away.” She pulls him into a short kiss. “But… how do we break her out of the dungeons?”

“We’ll have to come up with a plan, we have a few days before the wedding.” He stands up and walks towards a nearby bookcase.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the final chapter is here (I wasn't late this time). I just want to say thank you to anyone who has made it this far, I wasn't sure how well something with a bi love live girl would actually do, but, although it hasn't done as well as some of my other stuff, I am still surprised that it is actually getting people reading, so thank you.
> 
> Now, onto the final chapter...

The stairs to the dungeons are dark and it is evident that they are not regularly maintained. Moss grows on the walls and ceiling and the steps themselves are chipped and cracked, meaning you take the risk of falling with every step. It is the first time that Riko has seen them in years. 

Riko looks over to Cederic. “Are you ready?” Her voice is so quiet that she isn’t even sure if he heard her, but he nods his head.  _ Alright, we have to try. _ She releases his hand. “Be careful.”

“I will.” He whispers back, before descending down the stairs. She hears the faint sound of conversation from the bottom, followed by the sound of wood scraping against stone and the rough sound of boots trudging along the pebbled ground of the dungeons. 

She quietly creeps down the stairs, watching where she places her feet so that she is sure that she won’t make a sound. “Yoshiko, you appear to have a visitor.” The gruff sound of the guard’s voice echoes around the walls. 

“Me?” The sound of Yoshiko’s voice makes Riko smile.  _ She’s going to be alright. _

“I don’t think we’ve met.” Cederic’s voice starts as Riko reaches the bottom of the stairs. “I wanted to have a talk with you.” He turns to face the guard. “Do you mind unlocking the cell for me?”

“I’m not really allowed to.” His voice has a monotonous drone to it that makes it sound like he was asleep. “Can’t you talk through the bars?” 

“It would be easier for us to talk if I was inside.” Cederic doesn’t look at Riko as she slowly creeps closer. “I won’t be long, I promise.” 

“Alright.” He lets out an exasperated sigh and takes a bunch of keys from his belt. After a lot of fumbling, he finally finds the correct one and slides it into the lock, turning it and swinging the cell door open.

As soon as he does this, Riko darts forward and pushes him into the cell. Cederic immediately grabs Yoshiko by the hand and pulls her out before Riko slams the door closed, immediately turning the key and pulling it from the lock. 

A few seconds pass where all four figures are frozen. Riko and Cederic making sure that everything has worked out as they planned, while Yoshiko and the guard are still trying to figure out exactly what has happened.

Once the rush of the situation has settled down, Riko immediately runs over to her handmaiden and pulls her into a hug. “Yoshiko… I missed you so much.”

“P-Princess?” The stunned girl blinks a few times to try and take in what is actually happening. “What are you doing?”

“We’re breaking you out of here.” Riko releases Yoshiko so that they can look into each other’s eyes. “We decided to leave the castle and take you with us. We want to live our lives like Tanya, out there in the world, exploring the different wonders.” She nods her head towards the pack she has on her back, containing the journal.

Yoshiko takes a deep breath. “But, the throne, your duties… what will happen?” 

“I don’t care about those anymore, I’m sick of being a princess.” She stares into Yoshiko’s eyes and places her hands on the girl’s hips. “I want to be with you.” Riko pulls the girl into a kiss as she pulls their bodies flush against one another. Her eyes slowly close as she embraces the feeling that she has grown to love. 

“Let me out!” The guard screams, causing the two to break apart.

“Sorry, we can’t do that,” Cederic says from his new position near the steps out of the dungeon. “I’m sure someone will eventually.” He then turns to the two girls. “Come on then you two, let’s get moving, we don’t have that much time.”

Riko nods and takes Yoshiko’s hand in her own. “Come on, let’s go.” She tosses the keys into the corner of the cell somewhere and the two of them run over to Cederic. “Is the boat waiting for us?” 

“Indeed, we’ll be there in no time.” He lets the two head up first before quickly following them, leaving the guard crying for help behind them. Once they are all at the top, Cederic points to the left. “This way.” He then runs in the direction he pointed. 

The three continue like that through the castle, following the route that the two had planned out over the last few days. It leads Riko through parts of the castle that she hasn’t been in since she was a small child.

“Hey!” A voice startles all three of them and for a brief moment they stop running and look over towards the origin of the sound. A group of guards are there walking towards them. “That’s… the prisoner!” All but one start to run towards them, the other runs in a different direction, screaming, “The prisoner is escaping with the princess!”

Immediately, Riko takes Cederic’s hand as well and then the three of them run as fast as they can. They take the next left, turning into the food store room. A figure drops a box of carrots in surprise as they run past him and through the door on the opposite side of the room. This door leads to a small room that connects the store room, the kitchens and the servant’s quarters. Riko leads the two others into the kitchens. They dart around the counters, doing their best to avoid the bewildered servants.

Once through, they find themselves in the main hall of the castle, where another group of guards looks over at them. They quickly exit out of a side door from the room and start to run down the new hallway. 

Shouts can be heard behind them and with a quick glance back, Riko sees that the two groups of guards have combined into one.

“They’re getting closer, what do we do?” Yoshiko’s voice calls out from Riko’s side.

“Keep going, we’re almost there.” Despite his calmness, there is a look of panic on Cederic’s face. “We’ll make it.”

Riko gives the two hands that she’s holding a reassuring squeeze and presses on.  _ Please don’t let us fail now, we’ve come so far. _

The two reach a set of double doors at the end of the hallway, with a wooden bar across preventing anyone from getting across from the other side. They come to a stop and Riko looks at Cederic. “Is this the right way?” 

“Yes…” He looks back down the hallway. The guards aren’t in sight, but they can be heard. He quickly lifts the bar up as the guards round the corner into vision. He then pulls the door open. “Go through quickly.” 

The two girls run through before they notice it closing behind them, without Cederic coming through. Riko drops Yoshiko’s hand and runs back to the door, right as it closes and she hears the wooden bar fall back into place. “Cederic!” Her voice is a mix of confusion and shock. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry Riko, but they’re going to catch you if I don’t do this…” She hears his back press against the wood. “I could see in that kiss how much you love her… so go, be with her.”

“But…” Riko feels tears start to trickle down her cheeks. “What about…”

“I want you to be happy Riko.” He calls back through the door. “Knowing you are going make it out of this is enough for me.” It is clear that he is crying as well at this point. “Now go, unless you want all three of us to be caught.”

A hand on Riko’s shoulder pulls her back and she sees Yoshiko there. She takes a deep breath and nods. “I love you, Cederic!” She calls back through the door.

There is no response from the other side.

Riko realizes that her feet are on mud, rather than the hard stone of the castle, as they start to run across to where a small boat is there waiting to be set free. The two of them untie it and push it into the water of the large lake that lies next to the castle. Yoshiko jumps in first and immediately grabs the oars, getting ready to start to row them across.

Riko takes a glance back towards the door that Cederic is still behind, hoping that he’ll burst through and come and join them. After a few seconds, she realizes that it isn’t going to happen, and jumps into the boat, tears flowing from her eyes.

After a short amount of rowing. Riko looks back and sees the guards at the water's edge shouting something that she cannot hear. Then, she sees Cederic, on his knees next to them, his hands together in front of them. 

“Princess, do you mind taking the oars?” Yoshiko’s voice causes Riko to jump and she looks forward to face her. “The days in the dungeon did not fare well for my strength.”

Riko shakes her head and the two awkwardly swap positions in the boat. “Will he be alright?” Riko gazes off past Yoshiko and towards the dungeon. 

Riko feels a hand touch her knee. “I’m sure he will be.” Yoshiko’s words felt reassuring and she found herself looking away from the castle and at the girl across from her.

“Yoshiko, how many times am I going to have to tell you, my name’s Riko.” The two look at each other and then simultaneously start to laugh.

“I’m sorry, princess, but it’s a habit that I’m not going to stop.” Yoshiko leans over and wipes the tears from Riko’s face. “Think of it as my special way of addressing you.”

Riko playfully sighs.  _ I know I can’t win this. _ “Have it your way.”  _ We’re equals now after all.  _ As soon as the words leave her lips, she feels Yoshiko leaning in further and kissing her. It’s only brief, but it brings a smile to the former princess’ lips. 

By the time they reach the other side of the lake, the sun is low in the sky. Yoshiko had had to take the oars a few times to give Riko a break, so they are both exhausted as the boat rolls onto the sand. They both climb out and then push it back into the water, letting it sail off. 

“So, what now?” Yoshiko looks over at Riko as the two gaze out at the distant castle in which they’d spent all their lives.

“Now…” Riko turns to look at Yoshiko. “No, we are free to be who we want to be.” She takes a step towards Yoshiko, placing her hand on the girl’s cheek. “We can go wherever we want, we can do whatever we want…” She closes her eyes and leans in closer. “We can kiss whenever we want.” The two immediately lock lips.

Once finished, Riko steps back. “But first, we should probably find a place to rest for the night, I’m exhausted.” 

Yoshiko nods her head before she looks around the area. “It’s going to be a lot different from the luxury beds that you’re used to.”

“As long as you’re by my side, I think I can manage.” Riko reaches over and takes Yoshiko’s hand as they start walking towards the forest. A single line enters Riko’s mind as they walk.

_ I wonder what adventures tomorrow will bring. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, thank you so much for reading this. This is by far the best thing that I've ever written, and I learnt quite a bit through writing it. I honestly wish I could've spent a little more time on it but if I did then it would've just ended up coming out too late.
> 
> I do think I will continue to work on this piece a little more, there are some scenes that I think could be written more in depth and I also feel that the relationship between Riko and Yoshiko could've been written a little better. I also feel Riko needs more of a character arc throughout the story. 
> 
> I also want to thank all my beta readers once more, your feedback was invaluable to making this piece what it is. The first draft seems so different compared to what it is now and I also feel that it will probably change quite a bit by the end of my time with the piece.


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